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Audit Committee Chair s Legal Expertise and Real Activities Manipulation: Empirical Evidence from Malaysian Energy and Utilities Sectors

Author

Listed:
  • Belal Ali Abdulraheem Ghaleb

    (Tunku Puteri Intan Safiaz School of Accountancy, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Malaysia)

  • Shaker Dahan Al-Duais

    (Department of Accounting, Faculty of Administrative Sciences, IBB University, Yemen)

  • Abdulwahid Ahmed Hashed

    (Department of Accounting, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia,)

Abstract

Recent studies claim that improvements in regulations and corporate governance law in different countries are restricting accrual-based earnings management and encouraging managers to shift to real earnings management (REM). However, it is not yet clear whether audit committee directors with legal expertise are associated with higher or lower REM. Thus, this study aims to investigate the relationship between the audit committee (AC) chair s legal expertise and REM in the energy and utilities sectors in Malaysia. The study uses a sample of all energy and utilities companies listed on Bursa Malaysia between 2013 and 2018. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression is applied to analyse the study data. The study finds that AC chairs with legal expertise are positively and significantly associated with REM, suggesting that they have not yet ceased REM practices. The findings add to the corporate governance and earnings management literature, and inform regulators and other readers of financial reports about the monitoring role of the AC chair.

Suggested Citation

  • Belal Ali Abdulraheem Ghaleb & Shaker Dahan Al-Duais & Abdulwahid Ahmed Hashed, 2021. "Audit Committee Chair s Legal Expertise and Real Activities Manipulation: Empirical Evidence from Malaysian Energy and Utilities Sectors," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 11(1), pages 65-73.
    • Handle: RePEc:eco:journ2:2021-01-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hasan Mohamad Bamahros & Abdulsalam Alquhaif & Ameen Qasem & Wan Nordin Wan-Hussin & Murad Thomran & Shaker Dahan Al-Duais & Siti Norwahida Shukeri & Hytham M. A. Khojally, 2022. "Corporate Governance Mechanisms and ESG Reporting: Evidence from the Saudi Stock Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-20, May.
    2. Sumaia Ayesh Qaderi & Belal Ali Abdulraheem Ghaleb & Abdulwahid Ahmed Hashed & Turki Raji Alhmoud & Hasnah Kamardin, 2023. "Audit Committee Leadership Attributes and CSR Reporting: Evidence from Jordan," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, August.
    3. Abdulsalam Saad Alquhaif & Rayed Obaid Alobaid, 2024. "Audit committee financial expertise and real earnings management via accretive repurchases: does CEO power matter?," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, December.
    4. Ameen Qasem & Shaker Dahan AL-Duais & Wan Nordin Wan-Hussin & Hasan Mohamad Bamahros & Abdulsalam Alquhaif & Murad Thomran, 2022. "Institutional Ownership Types and ESG Reporting: The Case of Saudi Listed Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-23, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Real earnings management; audit committee chair; legal expertise; corporate governance; emerging market.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M21 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - Business Economics
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • M42 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Auditing

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